A night-time fire tore through a garage off Ole Dume Road in Kilimani, Nairobi, destroying several vehicles and leaving mechanics and vehicle owners facing losses estimated at millions of shillings.
The blaze triggered an emergency response from the Nairobi County Disaster Management Centre after authorities received a distress call reporting the fire.
Senior Nairobi City County officials later arrived at the scene, where they coordinated the response with disaster management officers, residents and mechanics as firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control.
The fire raged for more than four hours, with emergency crews facing significant challenges because of the materials inside the garage.
According to reports, the facility contained vehicles, petrol and other highly flammable materials, making the firefighting operation particularly difficult and dangerous.
Several vehicles were extensively damaged, with some reportedly reduced to burnt-out shells and believed to be beyond repair.
Witnesses said the garage employed more than 200 mechanics, raising concerns over the scale of the financial losses and the potential impact on livelihoods.
The full value of the property destroyed had not been established at the time of publication.
Firefighters and emergency teams remained at the scene after the main blaze was brought under control, working to extinguish remaining hotspots and prevent the fire from reigniting.
The cause of the fire had not been established, with investigations expected to determine how the blaze started and whether any safety breaches contributed to its spread.
The Kilimani incident came amid reports of several fires in different parts of the country.
In Kisumu, an overnight blaze at Kibuye Market also destroyed property worth millions of shillings, affecting businesses and traders.
The incidents have renewed concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in densely populated commercial areas, where a single outbreak can quickly destroy businesses, vehicles and livelihoods.
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